


I'm so proud (of being loved by you)

by RealityShowJunky



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, Break Up, Coming Out, F/M, Gay Pride, Gen, Happily Ever After, Internalized Homophobia, James Potter is a Good Friend, M/M, Makeup, Multi, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:01:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23208922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RealityShowJunky/pseuds/RealityShowJunky
Summary: Sirius Black and Remus Lupin are truly, madly, deeply in love. There’s just one problem: Sirius’ best friend can never find out.
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 27
Kudos: 858
Collections: Wolfstar gems I would cough up





	I'm so proud (of being loved by you)

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt: “how about maybe something with James buying some “Mr and Mr”/rainbow cups or pillows or such for the boys? James being supportive is all I need 😅” by @felicja-j / @casualmaraudering on Tumblr. Sorry this took so long. It was supposed to be a ficlet just for Tumblr but it grew a head of its own haha. Thank you so much for sending it in!

James popped a chocolate-covered strawberry into his mouth and chased it down with a chug of champagne. Then he burped. Loudly. “Where was I?”

Sirius had to unclench his teeth to respond. “Lucius Malfoy told you you can’t keep a cockatoo in your apartment.”

“Yes, thank you. So I said to him: Lucius, just because most living creatures are instinctively repelled by you doesn’t mean the rest of us can’t have pets.”

“Uh, huh.”

“So _he_ says that I have to take it up with the building council, of which he happens to be the president.”

“Asshole.” Sirius forced a sneer, hoping it belied his eagerness for the story to end.

“Exactly! So—long story short—I’m running for his seat in the election next month.”

Sirius flew to his feet. “That’s fantastic James! Let me know if you need any—”

“Well it’s funny you say that because I need you to go on a double date with me and the sisters that live in 10A.”

This stopped Sirius in his tracks. Despite his previous irritation, he grinned when he said, “You know, you can’t keep a cockatoo if you get cut up and fed to the cockatoo.”

James waved a hand dismissively. “They’re sixty-eight and sixty-nine. We’ll take them to IHOP and be home by six. Lily never has to know.”

Traitorously, a laugh escaped Sirius’ mouth. James’ eyes sparkled; he knew he’d won. He added, “If I impress Myrtle and Olive, I’ll get the whole water aerobics vote. I’ll be _unstoppable_.”

“Sure,” Sirius conceded, making a show of walking to the front door so James might finally take the hint and _leave_. “I’m exhausted from practice.” He faked a yawn. “I need to get to bed.”

James rose from his languid sprawl with a pleased grin and a jaunty hop. _Fucking finally._

“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow, But about the date—”

Sirius cut James off, “I’m not going to take my shirt off.”

James hummed contemplatively. “We can discuss it later.” 

He wasn’t out the door for a full second before Sirius had it closed and deadbolted. He yelled, “I’m _so_ sorry! I—” The coat closet at the end of his hallway flew open at the precise moment he slid in front of it.

“I didn’t come out in Tulsa, Oklahoma when I was sixteen to be forced back in the closet,” Remus huffed. His peaches and cream cheeks were stained red and there was a furrow in between his golden brows that Sirius wanted to kiss away.

“Remus—Baby, I’m _so_ sorry! I didn’t think he’d stay that long!”

The furrow remained. “That was _absolutely_ ridiculous.”

“Yes,” Sirius nodded frantically. “I am stupid and ridiculous and you are an _Angel._ All I ask is that you show me mercy.”

Remus shook his head with a frown. “I’m just gonna go.”

“No!” Sirius’ heart pounded painfully. The strawberries, the champagne, the homemade spaghetti bolognese—he’d die before he let his carefully planned date night be ruined by his best friend of all people. “Please, Remus. I’m really sorry. I wouldn’t have even answered the phone if I knew he was waiting outside. I want _you_ here. I want to be with _you_.”

A bit of the angry red began to slowly leave Remus’ cheeks. 

“Stay,” Sirius pleaded, chancing a step closer, “this will never happen again. I _promise_.”

Remus exhaled a long breath but he spoke with gentle sympathy when he said, “I’m not trying to pressure you or anything but...it’s only a matter of time before James finds out. You’re going to have to tell him sooner or later.”

Sirius’ heartbeat quickened again but this time for a different reason. “I—” He stuttered, “—it’s just—I will. I will.” The words felt like straw in his mouth.

Regardless, Remus granted him a small smile. Sirius took that as permission to collect him into his arms and lead him back to their nest on the couch. As Sirius lost himself in the comfort of Remus’ pillowy lips, he pushed all thoughts of James out of his mind.

* * *

When Sirius was thirteen years old and found himself with a sticky sock and a shirtless picture of Gryffindor Quarterback Ludo Bagman, he had two thoughts. One: I’m gay. Two: I will never let anyone know.

At that time, it was a matter of survival. The oldest male heir to the Black family dynasty could not be gay. The blowback was bad enough when his cousin Andromeda married a marine veteran with a prosthetic leg. _A marine veteran._ There was absolutely no universe, alternate or otherwise, wherein Sirius Black ended up with a boy.

So he decided that, despite his feelings, he would date girls and eventually marry a woman and that would be that. Surprisingly, this plan worked pretty well for most of his life. He dated the prettiest, funniest, smartest girls, which wasn’t exactly a chore. When he developed crushes on boys, he allowed himself his fantasies while diverting his outward attention to other things, like football and pranks and debate.

By the time Sirius reached college, things were much easier and much harder. Easier because he had been long departed from his family and harder because now it was impossible to keep pretending.

See, entering college was like entering another planet. Sirius met so many people who were entirely non-existent in his ultra-white, ultra-wealthy prep school world. For the first time ever, he saw people like him, men and women and everyone in between who were openly, freely, happily _out_. They were not ashamed; in fact, they wore their hearts on their sleeves. They were _proud._ What Sirius had always secretly wanted was there, finally within his reach.

But there was one best friend sized problem.

The rational part of Sirius’ brain knew that James was not homophobic. If James found out that Sirius was gay, he would not stop being Sirius’ friend or call him names or even stop changing in front of him in the locker room. 

But the affection-starved thirteen-year-old in Sirius couldn’t help but think that Golden Boy James Potter would be disappointed to have a gay best friend. He couldn’t help but think that if James found out, the very dynamic of their friendship would change irreversibly. Mentally, Sirius couldn’t bear that because his very identity was tied to James. With their matching good looks, intellect, and penchants for mischief, people always mistook them for brothers. Then even more so when the Potters took Sirius in when he ran away at sixteen. And they _were_ brothers. They knew at eleven years old that they had a bond like no other. James was the only home Sirius had ever known and he couldn’t risk losing him.

So that was how he wound up on a double date with Marlene McKinnon. He didn’t feel good about the situation but he accepted it as a sacrifice. A toll. By spending one night playing straight, he ensured all his other nights could be devoted to his boyfriend _._

“Hey, Evans,” James said, interrupting his own retelling of his building council victory to squint at something behind Sirius’ head. “Isn’t that a friend of yours? The one that works in the library?”

Every cell in Sirius’ body froze in terror. _Please God, if you’re listening, please let it be anyone but—_

“Remus!” Lily squealed.

This was a fight or flight moment but Sirius did neither. He remained frozen in his seat until a familiar voice greeted, “Hey, Lily.”

Lily jumped to her feet and drunkenly draped herself around Remus’ thin frame. He wobbled under the sudden weight but still gave her a warm returning squeeze. The familiar scent of citrusy shampoo wafted over to Sirius and he couldn’t keep his eyes from running over Remus and landing on his ass, accentuated so perfectly by his tight corduroy pants.

_This is how I die._

“What are you guys up to?” Remus asked though it was apparent.

_Slowly. Painfully._

“We’re on a double date,” Lily smiled. “You know Marlene, of course. And I’ve introduced you to James. But I can’t remember—have you met Sirius? Maybe at my Christmas party?”

They _had_ met at that party. Remus wore a navy blue sweater that made his skin gleam like moonlight and he was the first thing Sirius saw when he walked into the party and the last thing he saw when he drifted off to sleep. Remus had a wicked sense of humor and the dimples to match and that night Sirius knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was _it._

It took Remus a beat too long to look at Sirius. “Yeah, I remember. Hey, Sirius. Nice to see you again.”

“Hi,” Sirius croaked. “You too.”

“So, what are you doing here?” Lily asked.

“Oh,” Remus sighed woefully. “I’ve been _dying_ to come here since it opened—Mexican food is my favorite—but I can never find anyone to come with me so I finally figured, fuck it. I’ll come by myself.”

“You should join us!” James suggested sunnily without a care in the world. He had _never_ had a care in the world and Sirius fought the sudden urge to hit him.

Remus offered James a wry smile and lifted his takeout bag in explanation. “I already got mine to go, but thank you. And anyway, I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

“ _Remus,_ ” Lily groaned, “I’ve been asking you to come out with us for _ages._ I have the perfect person for you. _”_

“Do you?” Remus grinned. Sirius internally fumed, though he knew he had lost the right to jealousy.

“Uh-huh,” Lily replied, taking a long sip of her margarita. “Caradoc Dearborn. He works for Gringotts in the IT department and can Tango like nobody’s business.”

Remus laughed. “You can give him my number if you want. I’m _very_ available these days.”

Ten minutes later, Sirius found Remus in the alley behind the restaurant. “I _swear,”_ Sirius huffed, chest tight and breath short, “it’s not what it looks like.”

“So this is why you canceled our date? Marlene is the test you had to study for?”

“I only came to get James off my back! Marlene literally means _nothing_ to me.”

“This isn’t about Marlene, Sirius. You’re gay—I know she doesn’t mean anything to you. This is about the fact that we’ve been seeing each other for months and I can’t get you to go to Rite Aid with me, and yet here you are with someone who doesn’t mean anything to you on a Friday night date.”

Sirius opened his mouth to protest but Remus kept talking. “Sirius, if you want to go out with girls, that’s your business. I respect that you’re not ready to come out yet, I really do. But I’m not going to be made the fool. I’m _tired_ of this. I’m _tired_ of giving you a hundred percent when you’re only giving me ten. I’m _tired_ of begging you to go places with me only to be rejected every single time. I mean, what do you even want?”

“ _You!”_

Taken aback by this out of character outburst, Remus made no response.

“I’m sorry,” Sirius groaned, “It’s just _hard_ for me.”

“Hey—”

“And James is _always_ asking and I can only blow him off for so long before he gets suspicious. It’s just easier if I let him set me up because then he’ll leave me alone for a while.”

“Okay, I get—”

“And I _want_ to bring you to places like this—more than anything. I want to hold your hand and pull out your chair and share a dessert. I want to show you off but I just _can’t_ right now. Everything I do will get back to James.”

“That’s—"

“I mean, half the people here tonight came up to say hi to him. Anywhere I go someone could see us and out us and—“

_“Stop.”_

Sirius was jolted back to reality by the severity of Remus’ tone.

Resting both hands on Sirius’ shoulders to force eye contact, Remus softly said, “Calm down, okay?”

Sirius took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Remus.”

“It’s okay. I understand your concerns. Just—don’t lie to me? If you’re going to pull these little stunts, you can at least fill me in, yeah?”

“Yes,” Sirius exhales, basking in the warmth of Remus’ touch. “But I’m going to give you more, okay? I’ll find a way to give you everything you want.”

Remus smiled, a touch sadly, and reached up to place a kiss on Sirius’ lips. After pulling away, Remus muttered, almost to himself, “Let’s just take it one day at a time.”

* * *

“Someone brought me on a date here once,” Remus said, more to the marble statue of Venus than to Sirius.

“Oh?”

Remus grinned. “Jealous?”

“Well, I’m the one here with you right now—” Sirius wrapped an arm around Remus’ waist, “—so no. But, just out of curiosity, what’d the stupid piece of shit do wrong?”

Wrinkling his nose, Remus explained, “He said that Eminem was the best rapper in history. I took that as my cue to leave.”

“It’s reassuring to know that there’s literally nothing I could say tonight so stupid.”

Remus nodded in agreement before placing a hand atop Sirius’ shoulder. Humming, he lightly ran it up and down Sirius’ chest, leaving goosebumps in its trail. “You clean up well, Mr. Black. I like you in a suit.”

“Yeah?” Sirius moved until his lips could feel the softness of Remus’ ear. “How much?”

“If you’re good, I’ll show you when we get home.”

Sirius smirked. “Home?” He liked that. _Home_.

Remus flushed. “I meant _your_ home or _my_ home.”

Sirius laughed and pressed a kiss to Remus’ cheek. _Home._ He cleared his throat. “Are you ready for phase two?”

“Phase two?”

“Dinner at Rosmerta’s.”

Remus grinned and those dimples were _dangerous._ Sirius couldn’t help but kiss his cheek again.

“Rosmerta’s?” Remus asked. “The suit makes sense now.”

“Only the best for my Baby on our anniversary.”

In the past few weeks, Sirius had made good on his promise to give Remus “more.” They started out slowly. Seeing a movie with a friend wasn’t suspicious, so the theater was safe. Dinners at obscure restaurants were also a good deal. And spontaneous weekend trips to the coast never failed. Plus, the more they went out, the braver Sirius got. James still didn’t know but Sirius at least no longer lived in fear of being spotted.

That brought them to now: an evening at the gallery and then dinner at Rosmerta’s for their three-month anniversary.

Remus gave Sirius’ hand a squeeze. “I’m just gonna use the restroom and then we can go.” He had barely been gone for a minute before the hairs on the back of Sirius’ neck started to prickle. Not unlike a dog, Sirius had sensed the danger before he’d seen it. When he turned around, he was not surprised to find the very last person he wanted to see.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” he demanded.

James cocked his head to the side. “Pardon?”

Sirius cleared his throat. “I was just…surprised.”

“ _Okay_ ,” James said warily. “Well, Lily wanted to see the Rowena Ravenclaw exhibit and dragged me along to hold her purse. What are _you_ doing here? Are you on a date?”

“No,” Sirius squirmed, “It’s extra credit for Art History.”

“You don’t take art history.”

“That’s why it’s extra credit.”

James narrowed his eyes before running them up and down Sirius’ suit. “You’re dressed really nice.” 

It wasn’t so much of a statement as an accusation but Sirius didn’t flinch. “I always dress really nice.”

James shrugged. “Well come with Lily and I. We’re going to Sugarfish for dinner.”

“I really shouldn’t, I—”

“What’s wrong, you’re not here with anyone, right?” James asked. 

In Sirius’ pocket, his hand clenched around the sunflower Remus had held out in greeting that evening. _For my sweet,_ he’d said.

“Sirius?” James asked when Sirius took too long to respond.

_Fuck me._

“Let me just finish up getting what I need for my extra credit and I’ll meet up with you guys after.”

The second Remus was out of the restroom Sirius had him by a slender wrist and didn’t speak until they reached the safety of a shadowy, tourist-filled corner.

“Hey!” Remus ripped his hand away and rubbed it gently. “What the fuck?”

“Sorry,” Sirius whispered, as if James could hear him from several exhibits over, “James is here.”

“ _Oh, shit._ ”

“Yeah. So I told him I was here for a class project—”

“Well,” Remus interrupted, “maybe this is a good opportunity to tell him about us.”

Sirius laughed darkly before barking, “No, this is most certainly _not_ a good opportunity!”

Startled, Remus took a wobbly step back.

Guilt immediately rushed Sirius’ veins. He could not lose his temper with Remus—Remus, who he’d promised a fairytale and delivered a nightmare. He inhaled deeply and softened his tone. “He asked me to tag along with him and Lily and I couldn’t say no because I didn’t have an excuse not to, so…”

Remus didn’t catch Sirius’ meaning. “So…?” he prompted.

“If you could just go wait for me at—” Sirius wanted to say _home,_ “—my place. Then I’ll fake sick and go as soon as possible.”

“Wait—you want me to _leave_?”

“I don’t _want_ you to leave but this is—”

“You drove. How am I even supposed to get home?”

“I’ll call you an Uber,” Sirius croaked. Anxiety threatened to bubble out of his chest. Without giving it a second thought, he reached out to run a hand over Remus’ creamy cheek, searching for the solace only Remus could provide.

However, this action apparently snapped Remus out of his daze because he slipped away from Sirius’ hand like he’d been burned. “Think long and hard, Sirius,” he ground out. “Are you _really_ asking me to leave right now?”

There was exactly one good answer to this question and it was exactly the answer Sirius could not afford to give. “I’m sorry Rem,” he whispered, “I _promise_ I’ll make it up to you.” He reached into his pocket, pulled out his car keys, and hastily unclipped the key to his apartment to hold it out to Remus. “Take this. I’ll be back as _soon_ as I can.”

“Wow,” Remus muttered softly. “You actually managed to do it.”

“What?”

“You managed to top my Eminem date. I mean, at least Eminem had _8 Mile._ ”

Stunned, Sirius could make no response.

“Keep your key,” Remus sighed. “I’m going home. _My_ home.” He turned on his heel and weaved his way out of the tourist maze. With each step he took, Sirius’ heart fell further to his stomach. 

“Remus,” Sirius called as loudly as he could without causing a scene. “ _Please_.”

But Remus neither slowed nor spared Sirius a backward glance.

* * *

Sirius reread the note. Then he took a chug of beer. Then he reread the note. Then he took another chug of beer. He tried calling Remus: _Sorry, the number you have dialed is out of service._ He reread the note.

_Hi, Sirius._

_I don’t know if a letter is the right way to do this but texting is lame and I can’t do it in person._

_It shouldn’t come as a shock that this isn’t working. I want to make it clear that this isn’t an attempt to give you an ultimatum. It’s obvious that you’re not ready to come out and I understand your fear and I respect your decision._

_However, my boundaries have been crossed and at this point, this relationship is causing me more stress than happiness. In respect to both of our feelings, I think it’s best to take myself out of the equation altogether. We have had so many happy moments and I will never forget them._

_I want you to know that I do not hate you and am not mad at you. I wish you the best. I hope someday soon you will feel comfortable being openly in a relationship with a man you love. You deserve that._

_-Remus_

This loop of reading and drinking and calling wasn’t disturbed until the next morning when there was a knock on Sirius’ door. He wouldn’t have bothered with it if the unlikely hope that it was Remus hadn’t blossomed in his head. He was so eager to check he didn’t bother looking through his peephole before swinging the door open.

“Hey,” James greeted.

A laugh—awful, ugly, and pained—escaped Sirius’ mouth. Then another. And then, before Sirius even knew it, he was laughing so hard he was crying.

A strong hand came to his elbow while its brother rested on his opposite shoulder. “Come on, buddy,” James said softly, guiding him back to the couch. “What happened? You can tell me anything. You know that right?” The words, so comforting and easy in James’ familiar voice, pierced something in Sirius—something that was long waiting to pop.

It occurred to Sirius that he couldn’t imagine a feeling worse than the misery he was feeling right now. And what was it all for? Yes, it was necessary for his safety to remain in the closet as a child. But now? At twenty-one years old with the world at his feet? With friends and family and a wide-open community of people just like him? With Remus Lupin, who made him feel, perhaps for the first time ever, like the person he was always meant to be? There would be challenges—he knew with certainty there would be challenges—but Sirius would face them as they came. Today, he chose Remus. Today, he chose _himself._

Without waiting another second (he had already waited a few hundred billion too many) Sirius picked up Remus’ note and forced it into James’ hand.

The seconds passed like decades. James said nothing as he read the note but the furrow of his brows and the frown on his lips filled Sirius with paralyzing dread. He unconsciously held his breath, unsure of what to expect. James would be shocked, that was sure, but—

“So Remus huh?” James said, handing back the note with a warm hand. “I always thought you guys would make a good pair.”

Sirius’ heart stopped and his head went fuzzy—his mind couldn’t fully process the meaning of James’ words so he blurted out a stupid “Huh?”

“Yeah,” James explained. “I mean he’s the bookworm and you’re the jock. It’s cute, right?”

Sirius could only sputter.

James continued over him, “And he’s one of Lily’s best friends so he already fits in—”

“Wait,” Sirius ordered, regaining function of his vocal cords. “Go back. What do you mean you ‘ _always thought_?’”

“Obviously I couldn’t _know_ but you seem like the kind of guy who goes after pretty boys and Remus is a cutie pie. So when I met him, I thought—”

“You say that like you already knew I’m gay.”

James shrugged, “I mean…”

Sirius felt like a drowning man whose head had finally emerged from the water: relieved but still trying to catch his breath. “How?”

“I don’t know, Sirius,” James shrugged again. “I could just tell. I mean, you’re my best friend. I noticed things. _Normal things,_ ” James added quickly. “Like staring too long at a particular person. Or when you’d get nervous in front of someone who I didn’t think twice about. How you’d smile at the waiter versus how you’d smile at your date. Just little things.”

“But why did you never say anything?” Sirius wondered, still trying to gather his wits.

James sighed. “It wasn’t my place. You obviously didn’t want anyone to know, so I thought it’d make you uncomfortable if I brought it up. Like you’d think I was accusing you or something. This was something you needed to do on your own terms. If dating women made you feel better, who was I to stop you? That’s why I’m always trying to set you up. I figured if you want people to think you’re straight, I might as well help you.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes, letting the truth sink in.

Eventually, James asked, “So what are we gonna do?”

And just like that, the dread returned. “About us?” Sirius asked warily.

James rolled his eyes. “No, you idiot. What are we gonna do to get Remus back?” When Sirius remained in shocked silence, James merely grinned. “I have the _perfect_ plan.”

* * *

“It’s cute here, right?” Lily asked.

“Yeah, cute,” Remus said, trying to keep the sigh out of his voice.

“And everyone says they have the best chocolate cake in town. Isn’t it nice to get out of your apartment for a change?”

This time Remus did sigh. Nothing was nice anymore. It hurt to wake up every morning. It hurt to get dressed. It hurt to breathe. He missed Sirius so much he contemplated calling him about a hundred times a day. He never did, instead forcing himself to remember how it felt to be sent away on his own anniversary date, treated like a shameful fetish instead of a boyfriend. The worst part of it all (besides his shattered heart, of course) was that Remus couldn’t even _tell_ anyone.

He forced a smile. “Yeah, it’s nice.”

The hostess eventually led them to a quiet table in the back. Almost as soon as they sat down, Lily stood back up. “I have to use the restroom; I’ll be right back.”

“Okay,” Remus replied, taking out his phone. The second Lily was gone, he unlocked it and pulled up his photo album. It probably did nothing to help Remus move on, but seeing Sirius’ handsome smiling face made his pain slightly less unbearable.

“Remus Lupin.”

Scrambling to relock his phone to hide his pictures, Remus snapped his head up to see the speaker. Almost immediately, his brain short-circuited. “What the fu—”

“Mind if I take this seat?” James Potter asked, sitting before Remus even had the chance to respond.

All but frozen in shock, Remus managed to blurt out, “Why the fuck are you in a suit?”

James made a show of extracting paperwork from his leather briefcase. “I’m here to represent Sirius Black in the case of Black versus Lupin.”

“Excuse me?”

“The charges against you, Mr. Lupin, are all very Sirius in nature,” James warned sternly.

“Charges against me?”

“You’re facing Grand Larceny and Aggravated Assault of the heart.”

The implications of James’ presence spread warmth all through Remus’ body. A laugh—hopeful and giddy—tumbled out of his mouth.

“This is no laughing matter, Mr. Lupin,” James said, not breaking character even the slightest bit. “If prosecuted, the consequences will be dire and will include but are not limited to heavy fines and jail time.”

Almost delirious with happiness, Remus decided to play along. “I understand, counselor.”

James leaned over to whisper, “Between you and me, Dollface, you’re not cut out for jail.”

“No,” Remus agreed, “I don’t suppose I am.”

“Lucky for you, my client is willing to negotiate a deal.”

Remus nodded his head solemnly. “What are the terms?”

“You must pay one-million kisses in compensation for my client’s pain and suffering. Also, you have to agree to sign this contract reinstating the union between yourself and my client, therein agreeing to love my client for—” James read his notes, “—happily ever after.”

“I accept your deal.”

It was then that Sirius decided to appear, igniting a tingling in Remus’ lower belly and a fluttering in his heart he’d only read about in books.

James rose from his seat and offered Remus a curt nod before telling Sirius, “I’ll send you an invoice for my services.” Without another word, he was gone.

Sirius grinned. “Hi.” 

“Hi,” Remus grinned back.

“Will you let me buy you dinner?” Sirius asked.

Biting his lip, Remus glanced at the now empty table. “Honestly? For tonight, I wouldn’t mind getting a head start on repaying some of those kisses.”

Sirius’ grin turned wolfish and he gently interlaced their hands. “Home it is.”

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from the song “I’m So Proud” by The Impressions. I’m @theprongsletthatlived on Tumblr if anyone’s curious. Thank you all so much for reading. Stay safe my friends!


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